Former SEAL after getting shot in the gut: ‘Must catch people.’

Former SO1 Chris Heben in his hospital bed after a March 28 parking lot shooting. (Photo via Facebook)

Former Special Operator 1st Class (SEAL) Chris Heben was headed to buy his mom a birthday gift March 28 when, following an altercation, he was shot in the parking lot of a Bath Township, Ohio, shopping center. The bullet pierced Heben’s lower abdomen.

Rather than call for help, Heben, 44, hopped in his truck and tried to chase down his assailant while holding a finger in his bullet wound. Within minutes, he was seeing stars, he told Navy Times, so he decided to pull over at a police station and get some medical attention.

It all started when a gray, low-profile sports car nearly backed up into him in the parking lot. Heben said they exchanged strong words, but no one was yelling.

“You almost ran me over,” he recalled saying. “If I wasn’t paying attention, I’d be under your car right now.”

Thinking the situation was over, he headed for the Mustard Seed Market & Cafe. But then the car came back and Heben got shot.

Navy Times spoke to Heben over the phone April 3, following his discharge from the hospital.

Q. What happened when the car pulled up?

A. I’m going toward the store and he comes up next to me and shoots me through the door, basically. He said, “you got a real big mouth and you need to learn some respect. Where I come from we have to earn respect. I’d be willing to help you with that right now,” or something like that.

And then he looked at his buddy, turned back and looked at me, and that’s when I felt like I got mule-kicked in the gut. I never saw a gun.

I had a gun in my car at that time, a Glock. If I would have had the gun on me, I still think, legally, I couldn’t have shot because I didn’t see a gun.

A. I could never get more than 75 yards from them because I have a truck, they have a souped up little car. At some point in time, I’m like, I can’t follow these guys anymore. There’s a police station literally right here, I’m going to pull in there and get some help.

I went from seeing stars to like, looking through a kaleidoscope into a lava lamp. Everything was kind of blue.

I would just guess it was less than five minutes. My belly was on fire. I got shot about five inches below my belly button and about an inch over from that.

It was burning, my heart’s racing, I’m sweating, my eyes aren’t working. And I’m thinking, what’s the end game here? If you catch up to them, and you probably won’t, what are you going to do?

You’re going to pit maneuver them, and spin them out, and hope you can get out with your gun? And you still haven’t seen a gun, and now you’re pursuing people, which is outside of the concealed carry statutes. Dude, just get help.

Q. Had you ever been shot in combat?

A. I was never shot in combat, no. I’ve been fragged, you know, from nearby explosions, [rocket-propelled grenades], things like that. Maybe a bullet hitting a wall and getting metal fragments.

It’s funny, because the doctor comes out, and my parents are in the room. And he goes, “I just have to tell you, you have a lot of other metal in you.” He’s pointing at my body, going, “You have it here, you have it here, you have it here.”

And my mom looks at my dad, and she’s glaring at me, and she’s like, “So you’ve been hurt before, and you never said anything?!”

Apparently this penetrated a few inches into my abdomen and the doctor said he had to repair a few holes in my small intestine. They pulled it out, but I don’t know what it is, what caliber it is.

Then-SO2 Chris Heben during a post-9/11 deployment to Pakistan.

Q. Do the police have any leads?

A. No, I think they’re kind of at a loss. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t keep anyone in the loop. They just kind of do their thing, you know, and that’s understandable.

Heben served from 1996 to 2006 with SEAL Team 8, with deployments to Iraq, Africa, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Later he became a close quarters combat and urban operations instructor with Naval Special Warfare Group 2. Since his discharge, he’s served as a special operations contractor overseas and been featured on numerous television specials, in addition to expert panels on CNN and FOX News.

Chris, foremost, I am glad that you are ok. I also hope that the shooter(s) are caught and punished. Also wish to thank you for your service to us. Without Warriors like you, this would just be another chunk of rock, instead, it’s a great nation.

The perpetrators had the nerve to mention “respect”. Of course they had no idea who he was, but they also had no idea what respect actually is. They displayed typical dumbass gang banger classless rhetoric. This reminds me of those morons that shot Marcus Luttrell’s dog. Turds under a rock that’s all they are.
Thanks for your service Mr. Heben.

What a fucking hero. I commend you not for your courage in chasing those guys, but for your courage in choosing to get help instead of getting hyped up on your own anger and dying for no reason. Because you lived, your allies might bring them to justice. Focus on getting better. We’ll take care of the rest.

I would date him too and I’m a Gay Marine. That dude is so hot. I’m so glad I don’t have to hide my sexuality in the Corps anymore. What’s so awesome is that my whole command supports me and are totally cool with my “Gayness”. Gay Pride forever.

Prayers goes out to a Teammate. May God’s grace and peace be with you. You are a “Son of UDT.” Check out a book on Amazon.com. “Charlie Response” is about retired Sailors and Teammates getting together for a reunion. They share stories about their life together. Prayers are with you Teammate.